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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28004100">The Infection Spreads Faster Than Your Hearbeat</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oblivion_is_My_Melancholic_Friend/pseuds/Oblivion_is_My_Melancholic_Friend'>Oblivion_is_My_Melancholic_Friend</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Last of Us (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:47:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,055</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28004100</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oblivion_is_My_Melancholic_Friend/pseuds/Oblivion_is_My_Melancholic_Friend</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>I want, but you can't give, yet I take and offer the lives of the damned. </p><p>An aftermath of a violent ambush, Ellie doesn't know how to handle the emotions, but Dina takes care of her at home.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dina/Ellie (The Last of Us)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Infection Spreads Faster Than Your Hearbeat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>my first fic, feedback is always nice, i would love some criticism. i hope to upload more as i come up with ideas.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Warm liquid rolled down her face, sticking on her bruised knuckles, staining her grey hoodie. The adrenaline faded and she began to feel pain from landed blows. Her breath still ragged and heart pounding rapidly from the violent events. The haunting screams plagued her mind, and it wouldn’t stop as they got louder. </p><p>Ellie slowly composed herself, watching everybody to see if they moved. Of course they wouldn’t move, she watched the life of their body disappear as she struck at whatever tried to touch her, whatever tried to cause harm. They all laid lifelessly, bleeding out and stainting more materials as Ellie watched. She couldn’t bear seeing the gruesomeness, grimacing as she helped herself up and limped out of the door. </p><p>Ellie limped out of the house, smacked with fresh air, away from her wrongful doings. For some utter reason, for the first time, she thought about her sudden harshness. Something inside, something monstrous, snapped and was released. She thought about the tragic deaths and the screams, the faces before they stopped being faces, the bones put out of place due to rage and fear. </p><p>No explanation could justify her doings, the wrongful deeds and the sins that were committed, of her being damned and twisted from the rage and anger that took place everywhere, firing up her chest and mind filled with nothing but death and destruction. </p><p>Who was she? What was she? The echoing questions couldn’t be simply answered. Ellie didn’t know what to make of herself. </p><p>The horror and images wouldn’t leave as she sat down on the curb, a couple feet away from hell itself. Anyone would be filled with disgust and fear if they saw what she did. Looking down at her hands she thought she should be afraid of herself. </p><p>Small drops of rain began kissing her rough skin, rolling down her cheeks, washing away her sins as she sat down on the curb, replaying the events. The anger simmered down, turning into remorse. Ellie didn’t like the way it felt, how civil she tried to be in such a world that took everything she ever had, everything she ever loved. How can she be happy in a destructive world that constantly takes and perishes, consuming every good thing. </p><p>Her muscles began to ache, her back becoming unbearable, her hands hurt from the impact of cracking bones, her freckled face pulsing in pain, stomach burning from a slash, Anyone could mistake her for a runner at this point. Ellie wasn’t sure how she felt about it. </p><p>The rain becomes thicker and more dense, drenching the life around her being, watering the earth, giving life to plants and providing pure air. Ellie stared at her bloody mangled hands and felt the drops mix with the dried blood, running between fingers and dropping onto soil. What a fucking mistake it was to be out here alone. To be away from the people she loves and is loved unconditionally. She was lost, lost in her own mind, and she didn’t know her way back. </p><p>Standing on her aching legs, she turned to look back at the house, committing the surroundings to memory when she wanted to forget, but couldn’t because it never was easy. Forgetting was never a habit for Ellie seemed to bring on trauma. She thought forgetting the faces of her victims was cruel, giving in to the demons inside. </p><p>Slowly turning away, she set course back to Jackson, limping towards safety from the world she was in. Preparing for the stares and the curious eyes, her gut dropped when she pictured Dina’s face. Would she be disappointed? Would she be scared? She wasn’t prepared, she could never be. </p><p>What would she think? What would Dina say? Would she finally leave her? Would she stop being friends with someone twisted?</p><p>The questions wouldn’t stop, running through her fucked up mind, maybe even fucking her up even more. It hurt to think about the possibilities. Instead, she prepared for the worst; becoming alone in a world of darkness. </p><p>Jackson came into view, Ellie let out a long breath, one she wasn’t aware of holding in. She suddenly felt smaller. </p><p>Approaching the gates with her shaking hands in the air, showing signs of at least being alive and not dead, carefully walking as best she can towards the town, she was met by the person she did not want to see. Well, not in this state at the moment. </p><p>“Oh my god, Ellie?! Open the gates, Ellie’s back!” Dina shouted at the gatekeepers. A small smile reached Ellie’s face. </p><p>The gates creaked open, and Ellie was met with a small body pressed against her with force, arms warmed around her neck. She was met by warmth, outside and inside. Ellie buried her nose into the comforting woman. </p><p>“I’m so glad you’re okay. Justin came back and said you both were ambushed and separated. Joel went out there to look for you,” Dina’s arms hugged tighter, “Fuck, you scared me so bad, Ellie,” The auburn haired girl winced. </p><p>“I’m sorry,” Ellie buried her nose deeper into her best friend, smelling lavender and fresh rain. She decided it was her favorite smell. </p><p>“It’s okay, you’re okay, freckles. You came back,” A smile formed on pale skin, “You’re home.” </p><p>The taller girl could only provide a small nod, unable to come up with anything.</p><p>How ironic must things be. <br/>“C’mon, let’s get you cleaned up, you smell like Jesse’s socks,” Dina smiled wider, showing her pearly whites. Ellie’s cheeks burned, she hoped the blood could cover most of it. </p><p>Following her best friend, allowed to be led by trust, often brought Ellie some type of clarity; that no one could ever amount to Dina. Sure, some of her choices hurt the auburn haired girl like hell, but she would see Dina smile and hear her laugh everyday. No one could ever replace Dina. She would make sure. </p><p>Silence loomed and dread sunk in like a bite. Neither knew what to say, both afraid of breaking another, but rather communicated through the eyes.</p><p>What is there to say?</p><p>Hey, after Jack and I split, I was followed into a house, surrounded by gut-wrenching people, but don’t worry I murdered every one of them and made sure they suffered slow gruesome deaths. </p><p>Closing her eyes, she saw the scared faces and haunting screams, echoing in the house, the sounds of gurgling attempts from trying to reason, blood spraying in every direction, staining her clothes and painting her skin. </p><p>“Hey…” Dina stopped in front of the home of Ellie, staring at the pained expressions on her friend’s face, placing her soft hand on the green eyed girl’s cheek. </p><p>Ellie opened her eyes and was met with dirt colored eyes, worry and caution was shown. Ellie’s heart tightened. </p><p>“I’m sorry, I spaced…” the taller girl looked away in shame, unable to make eye contact any longer as guilt filled her body to the brim. </p><p>A small smile appeared on the dark haired girl. Dina’s hand pulled away and Ellie immediately missed the affection, but was made up by a tug on her hand. </p><p>“C’mon, dork. I’ll take care of you,” Ellie almost fell apart, but was held together when she looked at Dina, met with relief and gratitude. </p><p>Tension dissipated moderately, melting into a warming and comforting banter of looks and touches. Nothing was said, but that was enough. Just the two of them brought peace and warmth. Ellie is forever grateful for the young woman in front of her. </p><p>Dina led Ellie to the bathroom. She became confused. </p><p>“Let’s take these off, yeah?” The dark haired girl’s hands wandered down and under her stained shirt, resting on her abdomen. Shocks of electricity ran through Ellie, shivering at the touch of welcoming intimacy and sanctuary. </p><p>Lifting her arms, Dina pulled the shirt over her head and gasped at the slash above the waistband of her jeans. It had stopped bleeding but was an angry shade of red, dark around the cut. </p><p>Bruises littered her back and ribs, small cuts carved into her chest, her knuckles turning into different shades of blue. Everything ached, her bones, her face, her legs from running and kicking, her sides as they screamed from movement. Dina knew Ellie was hiding the pain, she was damn good at it, but that worried her even more. </p><p>It felt weirdly calm, the stares and the lingering touches of intimacy, how much they understood how fragile the other was. Soft hands washed away the war paint, covered the horrifying scars, helped Ellie remember how smooth and tender a person could be in such a terrifying place. </p><p>“C’mon, let’s get to bed,” Dina said with such care, such tenderness, tugging her to her comfort once again. </p><p>Slipping in a worn shirt and boy shorts, Dina couldn’t help but observe the lanky figure of her friend. Most of the time Ellie would hide her body in flanners and oversized hoodies, never having the opportunity to see what was under until now. </p><p>Dina has never seen anything so attractive until now. </p><p>Ellie, oblivious to her crush’s stare, focused on changing and forgetting. Peeling off every piece of fabric that stuck to the pale skin, refusing to look at the clothes on the floor. Dina took the tattered clothes and began soaking them in cold water, watching it turn from clear to red. </p><p>Dina refused to touch them, instead slipped into Ellie’s bed and laid in her scent, waiting for her best friend to join her in comfort. </p><p>Guilt settled in Ellie’s chest, heavy and shallow breaths were the only thing she could do. Sliding beside Dina, wrapped with warmth and security, stabilized what was left in her, she felt selfish, and that made her want to throw up, nauseous from how many lives were taken so Ellie could live in a moment like this. </p><p>She had the key to end everything bad in this world, the darkness in someone’s mind, the void of consumption, the disgusting ways of a human being in this world. It wasn’t fair, it never was and it never will be. </p><p>Dina wrapped her arms around a thin hollowed waist, burying the crook of her nose in the auburn haired girl, breathing in the fresh scent of rain and pine trees. Ellie draped her arm over the small girl’s side, unaware of the surprised expression beneath. Dina clung onto her tighter, afraid to let go. </p><p>“I’m glad you’re here, Ellie. I’m so glad. I don’t know what happened out there, I don’t know what you did to get back here, but just know I’m here. I’ll be here for you,” The smaller girl felt goosebumps raise on the freckled girl’s skin. </p><p>“I don’t deserve this…” Ellie’s voice almost broke, hating herself for being weak but the emotions wouldn’t refuse to be ignored and locked away like the other times. </p><p>This time felt different. After discovering the truth, after being lied to for so long, the anger was so much stronger, more difficult to handle. She didn’t deserve to be with someone so pure and full of love, someone who is too good for this kind of world. </p><p>The harshness was something that couldn’t be ignored, the anger was a flame that couldn’t be extinguished, an anger lighting every nerve in her body. </p><p>And it was caused by a man who she deeply trusted. And it hurt. It hurt way too much than it was supposed to. </p><p>Dina looked up and saw tears falling from a structured face, immediately her hand swiped away the falling tears, forcing forested eyes to meet murky brown. </p><p>“You deserve every bit of love there is. You deserve the affection you get and you deserve the love you receive. You are the most wholesome, deserving person I have ever met. Remember that, okay? Don’t ever think otherwise,” Dina kissed her cheek, forehead, nose, jaw, and neck. </p><p>Ellie’s skin burned, insides hot and filled with undeniable love for the girl in front of her. No one could replace her best friend, and that scared her. But now, all she wants, all she needs is the love that is willing to be given to her, wrapped around her, surrounded by her. </p><p>And Dina provides it. </p><p>No one could replace Dina. </p><p>Because Ellie loves her.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you for taking the time out of your day to read something that took a lot to finally upload. you are deeply appreciated, requests are always open, and i hope you have a wonderful day :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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